Say What? – John Rich, Part Deux

John Rich is apologizing again. It’s been only a month since the last time he scrambled to save part of his fan base. Now, The Tennessean reports that PETA wasn’t pleased by the fox fur he wore on the CMA Awards, and fired off a letter to him stating their displeasure. His response:

“I would like you to please forward my apologies to any of your members that are fans of Big and Rich that took offense to me wearing a fur coat on the CMA awards,” John wrote PETA. “Trust me, it was never my intent to upset anyone. Also, if any of the world class designers that you mentioned in your previous e-mail would like to send me full length faux fur coats, I would be happy to wear them, and when asked by the press or fans, tell them it is a faux fur.

Karl Marx famously observed that history repeats itself – first as tragedy, then as farce. No wonder I can’t stop laughing at this!

14 Comments on Say What? – John Rich, Part Deux

I don’t see the big deal about him wearing fur myself. He should have just used a PETA slam as a badge of honor. You can’t go on apologizing for EVERYTHING you say and do every time someone raises an objection.

I thought this was pretty hilarious when I first read it as well. The funniest part was that he asked to have a free coat sent to him.

Peter, I don’t see any problem with wearing fur, either, but in PETA’s letter, they had this to say:

“Please know that animals killed for their fur endure immense suffering and that most fur comes from China, where there are no animal protection laws regulating how animals are treated on fur farms,” she wrote. “A recent undercover investigation of Chinese fur farms revealed that workers swing raccoon dogs and foxes by their hind legs and slam their heads to the ground, injuring them but often leaving them conscious as they are skinned alive.”

I have an extreme dislike for PETA and their practices and the amount of disinformation they spread, but with allegations like that, it seems like it’d be worth it to make sure you weren’t buying fur that originated in China.

Brady – It seems like it’d be worth it if we inspected a lot more than the fur coming out of China. The whole practice of outsourcing manufacturing when there is little, if any, effective inspection and regulation apparatus (thanks Republicans!) is outrageous and threatens to harm many of us in one way or another.

Well, yeah, it’d be worth it to inspect more than just fur, but at the same time people have to exhibit a little personal responsibility. Who even knows if Rich’s fur coat came from China, though. It could just be a stunt by PETA to get more press.

Personally, I’ve never had a problem with hunting. I’m not a vegetarian, so it would be hypocritical of me to be against hunting. I came very close to doing it myself with my cousins in Alabama, until we got to the part where they said I had to spray myself with deer pee. “I’m out” was my immediate response to that.

Fur coats have always seemed gratuitous to me, but I’m not a flashy person as it is. I put very little value on materialism. I wait until thirty dollar shoes are on sale for fifteen bucks and wear that one pair the entire year. When I see a fur coat, I don’t think “How horrible!” so much as “Wow, think of what all that money could have been used for!”

I just do not get why anyone cares what these folks have to say about non-music/industry issues? Whether its Rich’s view on fur or homosexuality, Trace Adkins thoughts on domestic policy, or Dixie Chix opinion on George W. Can singers/celebreties come across as dumb much of the time? YES. Can they come across as educated and knowledgeable at times? YES. I care what people I know and care for have to say on many matters, but they are a part of my environment and of course we are all influenced by those around us in one way or another, but that isn’t the case here. I know that society in general has decided that if one is famous, then that person’s opinion will usually be heard on a larger scale and in turn become more valuable than the average joe, but that doesn’t make it relevant

God gave us animals to reign over….if we want to make a coat out of it; what’s the problem? How about the Inuit? Are they to stop making their clothes and coats and boots and mitts from caribou? Do you know that Caribou is the warmest hide? They kill the animal, eat it and use their hide for shelter…..what’s wrong with that? Next thing you won’t let me cut a tree down to build my home???

The point is not whether or not he wears real fur – it is how the animals who gave their lives for that fur were treated. Animal lovers are not all against eating meat. We simply wish for the animals to be treated humanely and, if they have to be killed, then killed quickly and painlessly. I love Big N Rich, but seeing John wearing that full-length fur coat was not only a shock to my sensibilities (and I know I’ll get slammed for that), but also seems embarrassingly snobbish of him. I am not a member of PETA, nor do I agree with their tactics of violence and spouting off. But I have loved animals all my life and if I had the money to buy a full-length fur coat, I would surely find better uses for it.